The Raiders have fired general manager Reggie McKenzie, a source told the Bay Area News Group.

NFL Network first reported the news Monday morning, and noted McKenzie turned down the chance to stay the remainder of the season before leaving and told his scouts Monday morning he had been relieved of his duties.

McKenzie’s firing shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the timing seems rather odd. It’s possible Sunday’s CBS Sports report that McKenzie would be fired after the season accelerated the inevitable. Regardless, not two years after winning 2016 NFL Executive of the Year following the Raiders’ breakout 12-4 regular season, McKenzie is out.

He’s responsible for drafting the likes of Derek Carr, Khalil Mack, Amari Cooper and Gabe Jackson since joining the Raiders in 2012, though his recent drafts haven’t been as fruitful. Jon Gruden, the clear No. 1 at Raiders HQ since the day he was hired in early January, made it clear on multiple occasions he didn’t think highly of McKenzie’s recent drafts. When discussing the Khalil Mack trade the week before the season, Gruden said he wasn’t even involved in sending a 2020 second-round pick to the Bears in addition to Mack.

Both general manager and head coach insisted they worked seamlessly together, but it was evident that wasn’t the case beyond a personal level. Gruden released, traded or benched a handful of McKenzie draft picks – Mack, Amari Cooper, Jihad Ward, Obi Melifwonu and more – and began the process of building his Raiders from the ground up.

McKenzie had no comment when asked about the CBS Sports report before the Raiders’ 24-21 win over the Steelers on Sunday, and stood by his October comments about his relationship with Gruden.

“Gruden and I, we work together very well. Let’s make no mistake about it. Him pushing me out, that’s not happening,” McKenzie said on Oct. 23 when addressing local reporters after trading Cooper. “Me not being able to work with Gruden, that’s furthest from the truth. OK? We work really well together.”

Now it’s up to Gruden to hire a personnel man whose opinion he really values, because it was clear McKenzie didn’t fit that bill.